Interior Surfaces Enterprise LLC, located in Olathe, Kan., won the first-ever Starnet Retail award for its work on the Hen House Market remodel. The high-end grocery store, located in Kansas City, Mo., brought its challenges, but industry knowledge and good craftsmanship helped the company overcome obstacles.

Interior Surfaces Enterprise started about 30 years ago, and was purchased in 2007 by Tim Porter, now president, and his partners. The company, Porter said, continues to do a lot of negotiating work with porcelain and ceramic tile floors. Porter’s partner, Larry Burt, specializes in installation and did the install of the floor at the Hen House Market.
The company’s strength, according to Porter, is its expansive product and industry knowledge.

“We have a lot of veterans around here, and that makes a big difference. We have a strong work ethic and good cooperation amongst our employees, those are our main strengths. Our relationships are also huge, from the installation side to our suppliers, all the way to the end users and owners.”

Working in conjunction with Jeff Maple Designs, who designed the remodel, Interior Surfaces Enterprise won the bid in fall of 2010 and started the installation of the floor in March of 2011, with the project seeing completion in May of 2011. The company noted that it had to wait for the delivery of some materials, adding time to the project. Interior Surfaces Enterprise also worked with Dave Gryzowka, vice president of operations for Balls Food Stores, the corporation that owns the Hen House Market chain.

According to Porter, the installation proved to be tough because the crews had to work around a fully operational grocery store, work throughout the night and complete a demolition. However, through competency and a good work ethic, the company persevered.

“We were able to overcome the challenges because of good work crews — we understood what had to be done. We also understood the importance of coordinating with the people who worked during the day, and working with the owners as well.”

Interior Surfaces Enterprise used Armstrong’s Natural Creations for the floor and Daltile ceramic and porcelain tiles in the bathrooms, deli and meat departments. Mapei thin sets, grouts, mortars and skimcoat-patching compound was also used, as well as Ardex skimcoat and self-leveling products.

The Starnet Retail Award is a new category this year, and happens to be the first time Interior Surfaces Enterprise entered a project into the contest.
“It was pretty incredible. We had the Starnet Awards banquet at our spring meeting and the award was handed out then, it felt like winning an Emmy. One of the Armstrong reps called and said ‘You did a beautiful installation, you should enter into the contest.’ It was the first time we had ever entered, so to have other Starnet members come up and congratulate us, it was nice,” said Porter.